Timeline

Invitation to join the Football Foundation Board

July 23rd, 2004

Bob was invited by the Premier League to sit on the Board of the Football Foundation in 2004. The Board had a budget of approximately £40m per year to invest in football stadia and the scheme was inclusive to all clubs throughout the country.

The scheme was introduced at a time when many clubs outside of the Premier League were still catching up with the Taylor Report and lots of stands were being closed down in need of modernisation. During Bob’s time on the Board it awarded approximately £100m to clubs throughout the country.

In the same year Sunderland PLC de-listed from the London Stock Exchange. Bob later sold the club to Niall Quinn and his Irish consortium (Drumaville) for £5.7m in 2006.